Tufting-machine.



PATENTED.APR..28, 1903M W. E. BUSER. TUFTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION IILBD MAY 1. 1902.

N0 MODEL.

Nirien rates ATFT FFlQiE.

WILLIAM E. BUSER, OF OI-IILLIGOTHE, OHIO.

TUlFTlNG -ll/IACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 726,400, dated April 28, 1903.

Application filed May 1, 1902. Serial No. 105,535. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVtLLIAM E. BUSER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chillicothe, in the county of Ross and State of Ohio, v

have invented new and useful Improvements in Tufting-Machines, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in tufting-machines for upholstering purposes, and pertains to an improved button-holder, all of which will be fully described hereinafter.

My improved button-holder consists of a yielding or elastic tube composed of rubber, which is adapted to receive and to firmly support the button in an upright position and is adapted to be constructed to receive buttons having heads of various sizes and is also capable of being reversed.

My rubber yielding or elastic button-holder has many advantages over the wood or metal button-holders heretofore used, among which may be mentioned that the yielding or elastic tube does not in any manner injure the heads of the buttons, owing to its elastic and yielding nature; that owing to its elastic and yielding nature it will not injure the finest fabric, which the spring and wood buttonholders now in use frequently do, and especially in connection with the machines in common use where the cloth is pressed tightly downward by means of screws, in which event the metal and wood button-holders now in use frequently cut holes in the fabric or cloth and also frequently destroy or injure the heads of the buttons; in that my improved button-holder will not split or break, as do.

the wood and metal button-holders now in use; in that the moldboard containing my improved yielding or elastic tubular button-' holders can be turned upside down for the purpose of cleaning the cells of the moldboard from the accumulation of chaffor refuse from the tow or filling without any possibility of injury to the yielding or elastic button-holders, Whereas with the wooden or spring-metal button-holders in common use they will be injured by turning the moldboard upside down against a trestle or the floor, and in that my elastic or yielding tubular buttonholders are adapted to be readily removed or reversed, as may be desired.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a moldboard, showing my improved button-holder applied thereto. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detached perspective view of one of my buttonholders, showing a button in position therein. Fig. 3 is a similar view with the button removed. Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of one of my button-holders used in connection with a shouldered supportingpin. Fig. 5 is a similar View showing the button-holder upon a straight supporting-pin. Fig. 6 is a detached view of a modification of my tubular yielding or elastic button-holder, in which case it is not provided with any slits to adapt it to receive buttons of various sizes.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 indicates a moldboard having the usual pockets 2. At the intersection of the Walls of these pockets are arranged button-holders. My invention pertains to an improved button-holder, which I will now explain. 7

Myimproved button-holder consists, gener ically speaking, of a yielding or elastic tube 4:, composed of yielding compressible material, such as rubber. This elastic tube 4 is supported by a suitable pin 5, which has its lower end firmly attached in any desired manner to the bottom of themoldboard, and the pin extends upward into the elastic or yielding tube, as clearly illustrated, and forms a support therefor. These tubes project above the upper end of the supporting-pin to form a yielding or elastic button-receiving recess 7, into which the heads of the buttons 8 are inserted. The pins which support the yielding or elastic tubes may be provided with shoulders 9, upon which the lower ends of the tubes rest, or thepins may be straight, as illustrated in Fig. 5, and in which event the tubes are made sufficiently long to have their lower ends re'st directly upon the moldboard and to have their upper ends extend beyond the ends of the supporting-pins to provide yielding and elastic button-receiving recesses. These yielding or elastic tubes which constitute the button-holders are adapted to be removed from the pin for any desired purpose and are therefore adapted to be reversed should their button-receiving ends become worn in any manner, making it desirable to reserve the tubes, and thereby obtaining double the life thereof. If desired, these tubes may be loose upon the pins, since they fit them snugly and will be held by frictional contact, or they can be attached by means of small nails 10, which nails can be readily drawn when it is desired to remove the elastic or yielding tubes or when it is desired to reserve them. Thus it will be seen that by constructing the button-holders of removable and reversible tubes a desirable construction is provided, and by constructing the tubes of yielding or elastic material they will not damage the heads of the buttons, as do the wooden or metal button-holders now in common use.

As is well known, the cloth is forced down tightly around the button-holders under a severe pressure, and in practice where the usual metal spring or wooden button-holders are used they are practically rigid' and frequently punch holes in the fabric. By using button-holders consisting of a yielding or elastic material, such as a tube, they Will not injure or mar the most delicate fabric and are adapted to yield and conform to'the desired position to prevent injury to the cloth or fabric, while at the'same time they serve to support the buttons firmly in an upright position. Also by forming the button-holders of yielding or elastic tubes, as here shown and described, the moldboard can be turned upside down upon a trestle or upon the floor for the purpose of cleaning the pockets and recesses of the button-holders without danger of injuring in any manner the buttonholders, as will be readily understood, while injury is likely to occur to a moldboard having button-holders constructed of wood or metal springs. Owing to this fact the moldboard with the usual wooden or metal button-holders cannot be turned upside down for the purpose of cleaning them, thus mak ing it difficult to clean the accumulated chaff or refuse from the tow or filling from the recesses of the moldboard. It is only necessary to turn my moldboard upside down, which is quickly accomplished, and to therefore quickly clean the moldboard without any danger of injury to the button-holders.

For the purpose of adapting my buttonholders to receive buttons with heads of various sizes they may be provided with a plurality of slits 12, preferably four in number, which will increase the yielding capacity of the button-holders, and therefore adapt them to receive buttons having heads of various sizes. Either one or both ends of the tubes may be so slitted, as will be readily understood. Where the button-holders are to be adapted to receive buttons with heads of various sizes and are also adapted to bereversed, preferably both ends of the tubes will be thus slitted for accomplishing the desired purpose.

My button-holders being composed of yielding or elastic tubing will not split or break from use, as do frequently the metal and wooden button-holders now in use.

It will also be noted that my improved button-holders are composed of a combination of rubber a and cloth I), which make them practically indestructible and at the same time sufficiently elastic or yielding to receive the button -heads and to support the buttons firmly and to prevent injury to the cloth or fabric.

In addition to the advantages in'the use of my tubular yielding or elastic button-holders they are cheap to construct, as well as effective and advantageous, for the reasons already explained.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is v 1. A tufting button-holder comprising a member having a recess provided with a wall composed of a compressible and yielding material, and a supporting member therefor.

2. In a tufting-machine, a button-holder composed of a tubular rubber member, and a supporting-pin therefor.

3. In a tufting-machine, a removable rubber tubular button-holder, and a supportingpin therefor.

4. In a tufting-machine, a tubular buttonholder having both ends yielding, whereby it is reversible, and a supporting-pin therefor.

5. In 'a tufting-machine, a button-holder comprising a supporting-pin, and a tubular member surrounding the pin and having a rubber portion projecting above the end of the pin to constitute a yielding or elastic button-receiving recess.

6. In a tufting-machine, a button-holder composed of a tubular rubber member provided with longitudinally-extending slits for the purpose of increasing the capacity of the button -receiving recess, and a supporting member therefor.

7. In a tufting-machine, a button-holder consisting of a tube composed of a combination of rubber and cloth, and a supportingsurface for the button-heads.

8. In a tufting-machine, a button-holder consisting of a tube composed of rubber, and having longitudinal slits at opposite ends.

9. In a tufting-machine, a button-holder consisting of a projecting pin, a rubber tube surrounding it and projecting thereabove, the said tube being removable and reversible in respect to the said pin.

10. The combination in a tufting buttonholder of a support for the tufting buttonheads with a rubber tube surrounding the support and projecting beyond its supporting-surface.

11. The combination in a tufting buttonholder of a support for the tufting buttonheads with a rubber tube projecting beyond the supporting-surface, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM E. BUS ER. Witnesses:

'JEssIE M. JAKES, SILAS F. GARRETT. 

